Boca tightens lobbyist rules for development

Boca Raton is moving to put developer lobbying on the public record before projects advance through city review. A proposed ordinance set for a May 26 public hearing would require development applicants to identify people authorized to speak to city officials on their behalf and disclose whether those people are registered lobbyists. The measure would amend the city’s zoning code, not Palm Beach County’s ethics rules. City documents say the filing would become part of whether an application is considered complete. ### Which rule is Boca Raton actually considering? Ordinance No. 5785 would amend Chapter 28 of Boca Raton’s zoning code, specifically Section 28-9 on standard processing procedures for development approvals. The public notice says the ordinance would “establish lobbyist certification and disclosure requirements for development applications,” and the City Council is scheduled to consider adoption at its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (myboca.us) The city’s public notice places the hearing at the 6500 Building, 6500 N. Congress Avenue, after a workshop and Community Redevelopment Agency meeting that begin at 10 a.m. The city’s agenda page lists the CRA meeting at 10:00 a.m., the workshop at 10:15 a.m. and the regular council meeting at 10:30 a.m. ### What would developers and lobbyists have to disclose? (myboca.us) City documents described by TAPinto say developers would have to identify anyone authorized to communicate with city officials on their behalf and disclose whether that person is a registered lobbyist. The same report says anyone appearing before the City Council, the Community Redevelopment Agency or city boards would have to state on the record whether they represent a development applicant as a lobbyist. (myboca.us) The proposed rule also ties those disclosures to the application process itself. City officials said, according to TAPinto, that an application would not be considered complete unless the required lobbyist certifications are submitted and kept current through the review process. ### Who pushed for the ordinance? Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau requested the ordinance, according to TAPinto. (tapinto.net) Grau was sworn in in March 2026, according to the city, after winning a council seat in the municipal election. Michelle Grau’s city biography says she entered office in March 2026 with a focus on “transparency, accountability and responsible governance.” TAPinto reported that Grau is one of three council members elected in March after voters rejected the One Boca government campus redevelopment project. (tapinto.net) ### Does this replace Palm Beach County’s lobbying rules? Palm Beach County already governs lobbyist registration through a countywide ordinance administered and enforced by the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics, according to the city document cited by TAPinto. (tapinto.net) Boca Raton’s proposal would add disclosure requirements inside the city’s own development-review process rather than replace the county system. (myboca.us) The city’s site separately lists “Lobbyist Registration” among council and clerk resources, alongside agendas, elections and public-hearing materials. That indicates Boca Raton already maintains city-facing access points for lobbying-related information even as the proposed ordinance targets development applications specifically. ### Why is the ordinance tied so closely to development applications? The proposed ordinance is written as a zoning-code amendment, which places the disclosure requirement inside the steps used to process development approvals. (tapinto.net) The public notice identifies Section 28-9, the city’s standard application processing procedures, as the section being amended. (myboca.us) TAPinto linked the measure to recent debate over redevelopment in Boca Raton, including criticism from opponents of the One Boca proposal who said developers had too much influence at City Hall. That account was attributed to critics and followed the March election of Grau, Jon Pearlman and Stacy Sipple, all now listed by the city as council members alongside Mayor Andy Thomson and Yvette Drucker. (myboca.us) ### Where can residents track the next step? The City of Boca Raton has posted the public notice for Ordinance 5785 and lists the May 26, 2026 CRA, workshop and City Council meetings on its agendas page. The city says agenda materials and archived video are available through its meetings portal. May 26 is the next concrete milestone. The council is scheduled to take up Ordinance 5785 at its regular meeting at the 6500 Building, and the city clerk’s office is the contact listed in the public notice for additional ordinance information. (tapinto.net) (myboca.us) (myboca.us)